Metallic railroad-crosstie



J. LEVENTRY.

METALLIC RAILROAD CROSSTIE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.20. 1919.

1,328,574, A Patented Jan. 20,1920.

Joseph Zara/0611 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH LEVENTRY, 015 J OHN STOVJ N, PENNSYLVANIA.

METALLIC RAILROAD-CROSSTIE.

Application filed March 20, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH LEVENTRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at J ohnstown, in the county of Cambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Metallic Railroad-Crossties, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to metallic cross ties and has for its. object the provision of a strong, durable and thoroughly efiicient device of this character designed to take the place of the ordinary wood tie and to which the rails may be securely clamped without the employment of spikes, bolts and similar fastening devices.

The invention further aims to provide a metallic crosstie including coacting sections each provided with an upstanding flange having spaced recesses therein and adapted to register when the sections are assembled to form seats for the rails, means being provided for uniting the sections thereby to clamp the rails to their seats in the crosstie.

The invention further contemplates forming the opposite ends of the cross-tie with downwardly deflected portions adapted to be embedded in the road ballast for the purpose of anchoring the cross-tie and preventing lateral displacement thereof.

A further object of the invention is to form the upstanding flange of each tie section with a laterally curved lug adapted to engage a shoulder on the flange of the mating section and cause the seats to exert an additional clamping action on the rails when the sections are assembled and the securing bolts thereof tightened.

A still further object is generally to improve this class of devices so as to increase their utility, durability and efliciency.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a metallic cross-tie embodying-the present invention, showing a rail clamped in position thereon, certain of the securing bolts of the tie sections being illustrated in section to show the construction of the bolt-receiving openings;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of one of the sections of the cross-tie detached;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 20, 1920.

Serial No. 283,710.

in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The improved metallic cross-tie forming the subject-matter of the present invention may be stamped, rolled, pressed or otherwise formed from a flat piece of metal or from angle-iron of any desired cross sectional formation in order to increase the stability and durability of the tie, and in the present instance is shown formed in two sections 5 and 6 each provided at its outer edge with a longitudinally disposed depending flange 7 and at its inner longitudinal edge with an upstanding reinforcing flange, indicated at 8. The opposite ends of the tie sections 5 and 6 are preferably curved or deflected downwardly to form diverging anchoring terminals 9 adapted to be embedded in the road ballast and assist in preventing lateral displacement of the tie. The upstanding flanges 8 are each provided with spaced recesses 10 opening through the upper edge of the flange and having lateral slots 11 communicating therewith and forming seats for the reception of the rails, one of which is indicated at 12. The slots 11 in the flanges 8 of the tie sections extend in opposite directions, so that when said sections are assembled the slots 11 in one of the sections will accommodate one side of the base flange of each rail while the slots on the mating sec tion will accommodate the other side of the base flange of each rail, as best shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, thereby to securely hold the rails in position on the cross tie without the employment of the usual securing spikes. The flanges 8 are preferably of the same height and extend the entire length of the cross tie with their ends bent to conform to the curvature of the anchoring terminals 9 thereof. The flanges 8 thus not only serve to clamp the rails in position on the cross tie but also serve to reinforce and strengthen the latter. Formed in each upstanding flange 8 between the rail seats are spaced recesses 12. the metal at one of said recesses being deflected laterally to form a curved lug 13 adapted to enter the recess 12 on the mating sec ion when the tie sections are assembled. The flanges 8 are further provided at spaced intervals with longitudinal slotslet to permit the passage of securing bolts 15 which serve to clamp the sections fi mly in assembled position. Owing to the formation of the slots 14, the tie sections have a limited longitudinal play with respect to each other to allow for expansion and contraction due to different climatic conditions.

In using the cross tie, one longitudinal edge of the base flange of each rail is positioned within the adjacent slot or seat 11 of one tie section, after which the seats or slots 11 of the mating tie section are positioned over the other longitudinal edges of the base flanges of the rails and said tie sections moved longitudinally with respect to each other until the openings 1 f register, after which the securing bolts 15 are passed through the openings 14: and the nuts 16 thereof tightened with a wrench or other suitable tool in order to secure the sections together and clampthe rails in position on the cross tie. As the securing bolts 15 are tightened the inner curved face 17- of the lug on one tie section will bear against the square shoulder 18 of the recess 12 in the mating section and thus have a tendency to further move said sections longitudinally with respect to each other and thereby exert an additional clamping action on the base flanges of the rails. As the sections comprising the cross tie are of like shape and formation, it follows that said sections are interchangeable so that they may be readily assembled on a road bed without any particular attention on the part of the track. hands or workmen. It will, furthermore,be noted that as the flanges 8 bear against the webs of the rails said flanges not only serve to reinforce the cross tie but brace the rails against lateral tilting action. It will, of course, be understood that the flanges 8 may be sheared or cut to fit or accommodate the base flanges and webs of rails of any desired shape. The cross ties may also be made in different shapes and galvanized or otherwise coated or treated to protect them from the action of the. elements without departing from the spirit of the invention. Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A railroad cross tie including coacting sections having their opposite ends deflected downwardly to form anchoring terminals and their upper faces provided w1th upstanding. flanges having spaced recesses formedtherein and adapted to register when the sections are assembled to form seats for the reception of rails, a lug extending laterally from the upstanding flange of etch section and adapted to enter and bear against the wall of a recess in the mating section, and means extending through the flanges for uniting the same and clamping the rails to their seats.

2. A railroad cross tie including coacting tion of rails, and meansextending through the upstanding flanges for clamping the tie sections together.

3. A railroad cross tie including coacting sections each provided with an upstanding flange having spaced recesses formed therein and adapted to register when the sections are assembled to form seats for the reception of rails, the flange of each tie section being provided with a laterally curved lug adapted to enter a recess'in the flange of the matlng sectlon, and means extending through the flanges for uniting said sec tions.

4. A railroad cross tie including coacting sections each provided with an upstanding flange having spaced recesses formed therein and adapted to register when the sections are assembled to form seats for rails, the flange of each section being provided with an auxiliary recess defining a shoulder, and a laterally curved lug adapted to enter the auxiliary recess of the mating section, and fastening devices extending through the flanges of the sections for uniting the same and causing the curved faces of the lugs to bear against the shoulders for moving the sections longitudinally thereby to clamp the rails to their seats.

5. A metallic railroad cross tie including mating sections'of like formation and each provided with spaced seats for the reception of rails, there being a laterally curved lug extending from the flange of one section and adapted to enter a recess formed in the flange of the mating section, and means extending through the flanges adjacent said lugs for clamping the sections together.

6. The combination with a cross tie formed of mating sections having upstanding flanges provided with seats, of rails engaging said seats, a curved lug extending laterally from the flange of each tie section and adapted to enter recess formed in the flange of the mating section, and fastening devices extending through the said flanges for uniting the tie sections and clamping the rails to their seats.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOSEPH LEVENTRY. [L. s]

Witnesses:

M. B. MCDONNELL, AGNES BYRNs. 

